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Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Total Spent: $120.00| Rating: 9

Pros:

small size and ability to bounce flash

Cons:

lack or horizontal bounce capability

Got this six months after purchasing the D80. What a great compact flash. Rarely use it directly, instead I bounce it off the ceiling. This works very well as long as a ceiling is 12 feet or less. With higher or dark wood ceilings, it is less satisfactory. Recently remedied this by purchasing the Demb flip-it.

paulyb

Registered: October 2008Posts: 4

Nikon SB-400 Speedlight review by paulyb

Review Date: 10/26/2008

Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Total Spent: $111.00| Rating: 10

I cannot overstate how good this little flash gun is. Have you noticed how little compact cameras can produce stunning quality photos when the ambient light is bright and plentiful, well this SB400 artificially creates so much soft powerful light, a camera as lowly as my D40 produces really wow photos.

When a friend asked me what camera she should buy to take photos of her children, I said buy anything you like, just remember to budget for an SB400, and you'll get stunning indoor, and outdoor snaps.

Sure enough, she ignored the salesman pitter patter to buy an overspecced, over-megapixelled SLR , and instead went for the simple D40 and SB400, that's the best camera advice I think any beginner to SLR should stick to.

Check out the Nikon website and KenRockwell.com, and if that doesn't convince you, nothing will. I've tried Canon 350D (Rebel), Canon 20D, and even the D40 with the popup TTL flash alone, and they do not compare.

libertinephotography

Registered: August 2008Posts: 9

Nikon SB-400 Speedlight review by libertinephotography

Review Date: 9/16/2008

Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Total Spent: $129.99| Rating: 8

Pros:

Impressive Guide Number on a Small Flash, Simple To Use Successfully

Cons:

No Programability, Flash Head only Tilts (Does not Pan)

Wow, I was so surprised by this little flash! I bought it recently in an emergency, and basically "tested" it on a wedding shoot. For 130 bucks, this flash is a great value! The only real significant detractor for this speedlight is its inability to rotate the flash head into position for vertical-oriented photographs. However, this can be rectified easily by attaching it to a Stroboframe with a sync cord.

Obviously, if you are a professional who really likes to manipulate his flash to achieved very nuanced lighting effects, then you already know that this flash is not for you, but, if you are looking for either a great starter speedlight, or an economically conservative solution to your flash needs, then this little guy could be just what you've been looking for!

geoffjb

Registered: June 2007Posts: 1

Nikon SB-400 Speedlight review by geoffjb

Review Date: 6/3/2007

Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Total Spent: $165.00| Rating: 9

Pros:

Easy to use, small and light, extremely long battery life, and very inexpensive.

Cons:

Cannot rotate horizontally, and cannot be a commander or slave.

This lens is as good as Ken Rockwell says it is. Although it does not replace the SB-600 or SB-800 in a professional setting, it is the perfect flash for casual shots or when a big flash is undesirable.

Do yourself a favour and make this lens your next photography-related purchase.